nursling, singing songs. She it was that discovered his first ges,
[Footnote: Ges was the Irish equivalent of the tabu.] namely, that
no one should awake him while he slept. He had others, sacred
prohibitions which it was unlawful to transgress, but this was
discovered by Dethcaen. She discovered it while he was yet a babe.
With her own hands Dethcaen washed his garments and bathed his
tiny limbs; lightly and cheerfully she sprang from her couch at
night when she heard his voice, and raised him from the cradle and
wrapped him tenderly, and put him into the hands of his mother.
She watched him when he slumbered; there was great stillness in
the palace of Sualtam when the child slept. She repeated for him
many tales and taught him nothing base. When he was three years
old, men came with hounds to hunt the stream which ran past Dun
Dalgan. [Footnote: Now Dundalk, capital of the County of Louth.]
Early in the morning Setanta heard the baying of the hounds and
the shouting of the men. They were hunting a great water-dog which
had his abode in this stream. Setanta leaped from his couch and
ran to the river. Well he knew that stream and all its pools and
shallows; he knew where the water-dog had his den. Thither by
circuit he ran and stood before the month of the same, having a
stone in either hand. The hunted water-dog drew nigh. Maddened
with fear and rage he gnashed his teeth and growled, and then
charged at the child. There, O Setanta, with the stroke of one
stone thou didst slay the water-dog! The dog was carried in
procession with songs to the dun of Sualtam, who that night gave a
great feast and called many to rejoice with him, because his only
son had done bravely. A prophet who was there said, "Thou shalt do
many feats in thy time, O Setanta, and the last will resemble the
first."